Tag: groupthink

Last night was one of those sleepless nights, with nothing else on at 2 am I was forced to watch a rerun of the Mo’Nique Show from 2010 on BET. Surprisingly she actually had someone of interest in the penthouse, Erykah Badu was in the building. I have always been a huge Badu fan since she debuted in 1997 with her album Baduizm. Her appearance on the Mo’Nique show was filmed following the release of her controversial video for her song “Window Seat”, in which she strips nude as she walks down the JFK assassination strip (Dealy Plaza in Dallas, Texas). Until last night I had never actually seen the video, although at the time I was aware of the controversy behind the video. Badu explained the message behind her video, saying that she was making a statement against “groupthink” which is “an unwritten rule that I will not express my true opinion if it opposes those that I love and fear.” She explained that this was her way of expressing herself and breaking the chains that she is bound by in society.

I think that at some point we all are bound by chains that represent what others believe we are or should be. We repress who we are and what we stand for in an effort not to offend those around us, all this does is force us into a box. While shedding your clothes as you walk down a sidewalk full of people is a little extreme, the message is clear, No matter what, don’t let other people silence you. Don’t be afraid to be yourself, people fear what they do not understand.